Thesis PDF

About the Authors

Petra Margel – Occupational therapist, independent consultant, President of the Occupational Therapy Association of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan-Australia

Relevance

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood, characterized by impaired movement and posture resulting from a non-progressive brain injury occurring in the prenatal, perinatal, or early postnatal period. Early intervention is critical to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes, leveraging the heightened neuroplasticity of the infant brain [1]. The G.A.M.E. (Goals, Activity, and Motor Enrichment) approach represents an emerging evidence-based model of early intervention designed to enhance motor function in infants with or at high risk for CP [2; 3]. This approach integrates goal-directed therapy, active motor learning, and enriched environmental input, while placing families at the center of care. For healthcare professionals, understanding and implementing the G.A.M.E. model can lead to more effective, individualized, and functional outcomes for this high-risk paediatric population.

References

1. Morgan, C., Fetters, L., Adde, L., Badawi, N., Bancale, A., Boyd, R. N., Chorna, O., Cioni, G., Damiano, D. L., Darrah, J., de Vries, L. S., Dusing, S., Einspieler, C., Eliasson, A. C., Ferriero, D., Fehlings, D., Forssberg, H., Gordon, A. M., Greaves, S., Guzzetta, A., … Novak, I. (2021). Early Intervention for Children Aged 0 to 2 Years With or at High Risk of Cerebral Palsy: International Clinical Practice Guideline Based on Systematic Reviews. JAMA pediatrics, 175(8), 846–858. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.0878
2. Morgan, C., Novak, I., & Badawi, N. (2016). Single blind randomised controlled trial of GAME (Goals-Activity-Motor Enrichment) for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 58(6), 607-613. https://doi.org/1016/j.ridd.2016.04.005
3. Novak, I., Morgan, C., Fahey, M., Finch-Edmondson, M., Galea, C., Hines, A., Langdon, K., Namara, M. M., Paton, M. C., Popat, H., Shore, B., Khamis, A., Stanton, E., Finemore, O. P., Tricks, A., Te Velde, A., Dark, L., Morton, N., & Badawi, N. (2020). State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy. Current neurology and neuroscience reports, 20(2), 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-020-1022-z